This invention relates generally to the field of ground-based aircraft refueling systems, and more particularly to remotely controlled aircraft refueling systems for rapid aircraft turnaround and use in chemically and biologically hazardous environments.
Plans for future tactical and stategic aircraft needing rapid turn-around in hostile chemical and biological environment include requirements for innovative concepts exploiting new robotic and remote control servicing techniques. Today, aircraft ground servicing is still a highly manual process. To accomplish turn-around under combat conditions requires both manually operated equipment and substantial manpower located by the aircraft. Tests in servicing aircraft in a simulated hostile chemical and biological environment by ground crews wearing protective ensembles required twice the normal time, and the ground crews found the protective outfits hot and uncomfortable and wearable only for a short time. Therefore, current methods of ground-based refueling operations are unacceptable to meet future needs.
Air-to-air refueling has solved problems in providing for continuous operation of aircraft over long distances and for various types of missions. Air-to-air refueling is expensive, however, and is not suitable for all missions. It has provided, though, a tested and proven technology for rapid refueling and its existence and use ensures that all new fighter aircraft are, and will be, equipped with standardized facilities for semi-automatic refueling.
A typical air-to-air refueling system, such as on a F-15, has a fixed receptacle, a slipway, a hydraulically operated slipway door, and other event controls and lights. In operation, a self-aligning refueling probe extended from a tanker such as a KC-135, enters the slipway and moves into the receptacle where it is automatically latched into place by a hydraulic latching mechanism. Depending upon the type of tactical aircraft, fuel flows into the fuel manifold lines and into the fuel tanks at a rate of about 6,000 pounds per minute. The air refueling receptacle is normally located directly over the main feed tank. providing the potential for very rapid refueling. As the tanks are filled, float-operated valves automatically close the tank refueling valves, shutting off flow to the individual tanks. When the last valve closes, an increase in the fuel line pressure is sensed by a pressure switch which automatically provides a signal to unlatch the probe from the receptacle and to withdraw the probe, completing the refueling process.
The prior art shows at least one adaptation of the air-to-air refueling concept to take advantage of its technology. U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,784 to Denniston discloses an apparatus for refueling an aircraft from a ship at sea. The Denniston apparatus is a boom assembly mounted off the side of a ship and designed to maintain a constant position of the fuel outlet despite the pitch, roll, and heave movements of the ship in the water. Due to the relatively slow speed of ships, it is designed to be used only with aircraft capable of very slow speeds, such as vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), or very short takeoff and landing (VSTOL) aircraft.
With the foregoing in mind, it is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for ground-based remotely controlled aircraft refueling.